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Month: September 2013

Congratulations to everyone starting university this year I wish you all the best in your journey. I thought it would be good to blog about the first year of uni as this is something which many students take for granted, not realising how important this year is.

As we all know, the results you obtain in your first year doesn’t physically count towards your final grading, however it does “count” towards your degree. The reason I say this is if you think of your degree as a 3 story house, representing your 1st year, 2nd year then final year. In order to complete your desired house the ground floor would have to be built first in order for the 1st floor to go on top, and then the second floor can then be established etc..You would never build this house on a shaky foundation so why would you build your degree on one?

Any gaps which are left in the foundation will have to eventually get filled, which would be harder and even more time consuming. I remember when I started uni I was told “1st year don’t count don’t take it serious etc.” If I took that advice i would have been the biggest fool ever. My 1st year provided me with the springboard and the confidence to face the following two years ahead. It allowed me to understand how exams were marked, how coursework was written in comparison to what I had been submitting at college. It also gave me the opportunity to apply for internships in my second year. I’m not going to sugar coat anything now – have a poor first year you will struggle to find work experience in the field you want. When you apply for work placements, this is usually done throughout your second year,and one would hopefully gain a place for the summer or for the year as a placement year. So the employer looking to take you on would not only look at your application, A-levels/btec’s, the other main determining factors would be the results from your first year of university. This is because its the most current form of examination you have done as well as the fact that your result would reflect how well you have been able to adapt to the higher education system. So, Why would they pick someone that hasn’t had a strong 1st year because of the advice others have given them, compared to someone who realises that 9,000 pounds a year isn’t a joke and puts in their all from the start? It’s a no brainer really. Enjoy the experience to the max but never at the detriment of your education.
One thing we should all try and remember is that of there’s anything you can do now, do it! It’s better to be ahead, than to be behind!

The Net Location will be hosting “A day in the life of a young professional”: Working in the Cityon Wednesday 9th October 2013 between 6.30pm – 9.00pm at BoConcept.

For one night only, a panellist of 5 Investment Banking professionals will bring you into their World, to tell you about their journey, role, set-backs, challenges, and more importantly give advice to those that are interested in getting into their career.